Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1887-08-31
A COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

We have been asked several times
lately to publish the general provisions
of the law authorizing the establish
Inent and maintenance Of county high
schools. The law was passed in Feb
ruary 1886, and it provides:
That each county having a popula-
ton of 5000 or more inhabitants may
establish county high school for the
purpose of affording better educational
facilities for pupils more advanced
than those attending district schools,
and for persons who desire to fit them
selves for the avocation of teaching.
when one third of the electors of a
county shall petition the county COM
missiOners TO establish such school, or
when the commissioners may see prop
er and when majority of the voters
at general election have so decided.
Twenty days notice of the election
must be given.
After the high school has been order
ed by the voters, it is the duty of the
county commissioners to appoint six
persons, free-holders, not more than
two from same township or city, who,
with the county superintendent of in
struction shall constitute board of trus-
tees for the high school. The trustees
must give bond. At the next general
election SIX trustees shall be elected,
and of these two shall hold Office one
year, two shall hold Office two years,
and two for three years. Two shall
then be elected every year. BY virtue
OF his Office the county superintendent
shall be president of the board. a Sec
rotary and treasurer shall be appointed
from the trustees.
The location of the school must be
decided upon at the same time the es-
tablishment is decided on.
At the first meeting of the board it
shall determine the amount of funds
necessary for building purposes and
for teachers wages, certify the amount
to the commissioners who shall order
the tax levied and collected. In no
case shall 1t exceed six mills any one
year.
AS soon as possible after their ap-
pointment, to select site, at the place
determined on for the high school.
without expense to the county, the
board shall proceed to let the contract
for the high school building, but they
are prohibited from expanding in any
one year an amount in excess of that
on hand and to be raised by tax levy
for that year. Or, the board is author
lied to lease suitable buildings for the
high school.
The trustees shall employ principal
and the necessary teachers.
There shall be provided three courses
OF instruction, each requiring three
years. study for completion, iamely:
n general course, a normal course, and
collegiate course. The general course
shall be designed for those who cannot
continue school life after leaving the
high school. The normal course shall
be designed for those who intend to be-
come teachers, and shall fully prepare
any who wishes to enter the first year of
professional work at the state normal
school. The collegiate course shall
fully prepare those who wish to enter
the freshman class of the state uniyer-
sity or other institutions of learning in
this state.
Tuition shall be free to all pupils re.
siding in the county. No person shall
be admitted who shall not have passed
a satisfactory examination in all The
work of the district schools of the
county. Pupils may be admitted from
other counties upon the payment of a
tuition, whenever the high school can
accommodate them, but at no time
shall the pupils from other counties
continue to the exclusion of pupils re-
siding in the county in which the school
Is situated.
The aboveare the general provisions
of the law. Now, if our people think
that Barber county should have a high
school they can get the matter submit
ted to the tax payers. No one will de-
ny that such an institution would be a
great advantage to the county and the
only question now is. can we afford it?